The present invention concerns an electrical socket apparatus of a type which provides sockets to receive the terminal pins of an electrical device. These sockets are provided with electrical conductors for engaging the terminal pins.
An electrical socket apparatus of the socket connector form is well known. Such socket connectors are engageable by electrical devices (such as electrical plug connectors) for connecting an electrical appliance to an electricity supply. However, such socket connectors have various disadvantages. For example, the conductors can be damaged by current arcing because of repeated insertion and removal of the plug connectors while under an electrical load. Also, insertion of worn undersize pins into the sockets may result in poor electrical contact being made with the electrical conductors, thereby resulting in overheating of, and damage to, the socket connector. Dangers can also arise if conductive objects are inserted wrongfully into the sockets.
While some forms of socket connectors are arranged, for example, to reduce heating by spring loading the electrical conductors to bear against the pins, and to reduce these dangers by means of shutters which normally obstruct the sockets until they are displaced by insertion of an appropriate plug connector, these disadvantages, in combination, remain to an appreciable extent.
Such socket connectors have the advantages, firstly, of being simple in construction so that they can be assembled quickly from very inexpensive-to-produce components, and, secondly, of being compact and light so as to be easily transported and fitted into electrical supply circuits or manufactured articles.
An electrical socket apparatus of the appliance supporting form is also known. For example, there are disclosed, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,760,149 and 4,096,545, forms of electrical socket apparatus which incorporate safety devices and which serve as base units or stands for cordless appliances, such as electric irons. However, these forms of apparatus have many disadvantages. For example, they are complex, incorporate expensive components, are expensive to construct and assemble, and require expensive modification of the appliance to actuate the safety devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to enable all the aforementioned disadvantages to be obviated or reduced.